4-year-old Syrian migrant girl found dead off Turkey’s Bodrum coast

4-year-old Syrian migrant girl found dead off Turkey’s Bodrum coast

BODRUM – Doğan News Agency

Turkish fishermen found the dead body of a 4-year-old Syrian migrant girl off Turkey’s Bodrum coast on Nov. 22, four days after a migrant dinghy capsized. The girl's fate was reminiscent of that of Syrian toddler Aylan Kurdi, whose lifeless body washed up on the shore of Bodrum in September, triggering worldwide outrage.

The girl, identified as Sena, was found squeezed in between rocks near the island of Çatalada by amateur fishermen while fishing. Upon their notice, Turkish coast guards arrived at the scene and took the dead body of Sena to Turgutreis Port.

Mirvan Hassan, one of the rescued migrants, identified the girl as Sena at the Bodrum State Hospital morgue.

“Her mother was constantly addressing her child as Sena while they were boarding the boat,” said Hassan.

Sena was wearing blue jeans with a red top, similar to the clothes of two-year old Kurdi, who drowned off the Bodrum coast on Sept. 2.

Five migrants were rescued and 15 went missing when a migrant dinghy carrying mostly Syrian migrants capsized off Bodrum’s Turgutreis coast on Nov. 18. The bodies of eight were rescued during the rescue work.

Meanwhile, research and rescue efforts to reach the remaining six migrants are ongoing.